Coca-Cola is going big on caffeine for a couple of new products – outside of America, at least.
Coca-Cola Plus Coffee has been market-tested in Asia and will be in 25 markets by the end of this year. For those who want even more caffeine with their cola, Coca-Cola Energy is about to launch in the United Kingdom. The first energy drink bearing the company’s name, Coca-Cola Energy will feature 80mg of caffeine per 250ml serving, compared with 24mg for regular Coke.
Coca-Cola is hoping to capitalize on the energy drink market being less developed overseas than in the U.S. In the UK, energy drink sales rose 2% by volume in the UK last year while carbonated soft drinks fell 0.2%.
However, the introduction of Coca-Cola Energy has already sparked a dispute with Monster Beverage Corp., the leading U.S. energy drink brand. Monster is 18.5% owned by Coca-Cola, with which it has a distribution deal. Monster claims that Coca-Cola Energy violates a clause of that deal that prohibits Coca-Cola from developing energy drinks. The dispute is in arbitration.
